Vou IX. No. 32.
‘NEW HAVEN, CONN., WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 1900.
Copyright, 1900,
by Yale Alumni Weekly.
Price 10 Cents.
Teel. Ferrey.
YALE, UNIVERSITY “rRACK.- TEAM.
DuVal. Thomas.
Stillman. Barnard.
Ellsworth. Richards. Havemeyer. Robinson (Tr’ner). Burns.
L. Thomas.
Makepeace.
G. Smith.
Edwards.
Mead.
Boardman.
Gleason.
Hord.
Dupee.
Johnson (capt.).
Weston.
Smith. Cheney. Beck,
Speer. Poynter.
Blount.
Photo. by Pach.
Hargrave.
Waldron.
Pendleton.
Fincke.
NOTABLE DEBATING YEAR.
A Sketch of what Has Been Done—
Some Needs.
The debate with Princeton this week
practically closes, for the year, the work
in debating throughout the University.
The year has been a notable one in the
development of this branch of college
work. When it opened there was ap-
parently the same lack of interest and
the same discouraging. outlook; as it
closes, debating has gained for itself a
higher position among undergraduates
and stands on a better footing than it
has for many years. =
The great improvement.that has come
has been especially noticeable in the vari-
ous departments and class organizations
where the fundamental and important
work is done. Attendance has in-
creased, a more representative class of
men have become active in the work,
and a higher standard of work has been
maintained in the regular debates.
The best example of this new develop-
ment is furnished by the Yale Union,
the principal college organization. In
this society the weekly attendance has
risen from a mere handful to an average
between seventy-five and one hundred.
In previous years it has been a rare
thing to see representative college men
active in its work; during the past year
the Union has received the support of
a large number of men prominent in the’
social, athletic and literary life of the
University. The work of the members —
has been of a very high standard, and
as a result the weekly debates have
had a lively and increasing interest.
What has been true of the Union has
been true of the other debating so-
cieties, The class organizations, “The
Wigwam” and “The Wranglers,”
which were established two years ago,
have this year, through the revival in
debating interest, become surely estab-
lished in the college. The new ‘value
which they have come to have, is notice-
able in the increased competition for
membership in them, and in a certain
prestige which membership gives men
in the eyes of the classes.
In addition to the active work going
on in the organizations themselves, there
has been inaugurated through the Yale
Debating Association a very successful
series of interclub and interdepartment
debates. These debates, coming about
once a month, have been public and have
gone beyond anticipation in the interest
they have awakened and in the support
they have received throughout the Uni-
versity. A healthy rivalry has grown up
between the societies and it has proved
a valuable stimulus to better work. The
men selected to represent their organi-
zation in these debates have been chosen
either by actual competition or on a basis
of the work done at the regular weekly
debates, and this too has.had its influ-
ence in building up the work.
INTERCLASS DEBATING.
Among these public debates, the most
successful was the one held between the
Sophomore and Freshman classes. The
same process was used in selecting the
teams as is employed in choosing inter-
collegiate teams. The debaters were
coached by men of ability in the Senior
Class. The debate itself was of a high
standard and largely attended. One of
the best features was the great enthu-
siasm shown by the two classes, which
were largely represented. Other debates:
have been held between the Law School
and the Academic Department, the Shef-
field Union and the different class or-
ganizations. The best debaters in the
University have appeared on the teams
and prominent men have been secured
to preside over and judge these contests.
The debates have this year been one of
the best features in the undergraduate
work and the charge of the system for
next year has been put in able hands.
Naturaily in looking for the results of
the revival in interest and work one
would turn to the intercollegiate debates,
and here, although in the actual outcome
the year has not been especially success-
ful, there has been a very marked im-
provement in the general work for these
contests. Over two hundred men in
the University have .-appeared in the
competitive debates, and it has been the
testimony of the judges that the general
standard of work has never been as
high as this year. There has been espe-
cial competition among underclass men
for places on the second teams, and this
in addition to strengthening the Uni-
versity Team has developed a large
amount of new material which may be
used. next year.
A TRANSITION PERIOD FOR YALE.
In intercollegiate debating Yale has
been going through a transition period.
The election of President Hadley last
year took from debating its principal
coach and adviser. It was then thought
best after thorough discussion to do
away with Faculty coaching altogether
and the officers of the Association be-
gan to look around to see into whose
hands the work of coaching could be
put. After a thorough canvass of the
field, Mr. N. A. Smyth, 1900 L.S., and
Yale ’97, who had successfully repre-
sented Yale in intercollegiate debates,
was appointed head coach for the teams
of the year. He selected as his assist-
ants C. G. Clarke, ’95; C. W. Wells, ’96,
and C. P. Kitchel, ’97. These men have
ably done the work assigned to them.
They introduced an entirely new system
of coaching and all the men who have
had the benefit of this coaching are
strong in opinion that it is the best that
could be used. Men ate now thrown
more on their own responsibility and this
has made Yale debaters more at home
and more resourceful in debate than in
previous years.
For the past five or six years all
the attention at Yale has been given to
pure argument and logic in debating,
and as a result Yale debaters whenever
they appear have a resourcefulness and
an argumentative ability which is rarely
excelled. The experience of the year,
however, has taught more clearly than
ever before that if Yale is to be success-
ful there must be combined with argu-
mentative power a grace and form in
platform speaking which Yale has rarely
possessed. Men must be trained in this
as well as in the other line, and platform
presence must be taken into account in
selecting men in the trial debates. There
has been a new tendency to do this this
year, but it has not yet advanced far
enough. The work that has been done
in building up pure debating strength
has been decidedly the fundamental
work, but if Yale teams are to be vic-
torious, and represent the University in
the best way, a great deal of attention
must be paid to the development of a
higher standard of platform speaking
than teams have had in recent debates.
The advance debating has made this
year, the new place it has come to oc-
cupy in college interests, promise much
for the future of this important work. —
OBSTACLES IN THE WAY.
There are, however, one or two great
obstacles in the way of the advance of
debating to the place it should occupy.
The greatest of these is the lack of
proper rooms in which the societies
can hold their regular meetings. The
ideal, of course, would be a building for
debating organizations such as is found
at Oxford. This may come in years.
It certainly is not expected now. There
is, however, a strong feeling that a suita-
ble room should be provided somewhere
in the new buildings the University 1s
about to erect. Such a room might be
put in charge of the Debating Assocta-
tion and a schedule could be arranged
whereby all the debating organizations
could have the use of it for their meet-
ings.
So strong is the need felt that it is
extremely probable that if a room were
provided, the various societies would |
combine and furnish it in a way well
suited for parliamentary meetings.
Another obstacle has been the lack of
